bostrom



@niteh tstes @anni @ffies EDWARD T. ABOSTROM, OF NEWNAN, GEORGIA.

Letters Patent No. 70,947, dated November 19, 1867; anteclated November 8, 1867.

IMPROVED PADDLE-WHEEL.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY C ONCERN: y

Be it known that I, E. T. BOSTROM, of Neivnan, in the county of Coweta, and Stute of Georgia, have invented a new and improved Paddle-Wheeltand I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same,lrei`erence being had'to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specication. Y

This invention relates to a .new and improved paddle-wheel designed for both river and sea Steamers, and has for its object a more eicient action than hitherto ot' the buckets or float-boards against the water, and the perfect operation of the buckets or float-boards at varying depths of immersion. The ordinary paddle-wheels, provided with fixed radial buckets or float-boards, have a very imperfect action in the water during a certain portion of their movement therein, and in order to obtain the greatest eti'ect or maximum propelling-power, a certain depth ofimmersion is necessary. This cannot always be obtained, as the depth of ,immersion will vary according as the vessel is more or less heavily laden, and besides, in sea,steamersthe rolling of the samecauses the buckets or float-boards to be at one moment deeply immersed and at the next quite near the surface of the water. This ditiiculty attending the operation of the ordinary paddle-wheels, it is believed is fully obviated by my invention.

Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my invention, taken in the line a; ai, iig. 2, and

Figure 2 a plan or top -view of the same. i

A represents the shaft of the wheel; B, the arms attached radially to the shaft in any proper manner; and

'C represents rotary buckets or ioat-boards, which are constructed and arranged as follows: Between the outer parts of the arms B there are `secured shafts, D, which are allowed `to rotate freely, and have' radial arms, a, attached, to which the bucketsor oat-boards IC are secured. In the drawings, each shaft D is represented 'with four buckets oriloat-boards attached, but more may be employed if necessary. Twosets of arms, B, of four each, are also shown, but more may' be used, and Aalso more of the sets of buckets or dont-boards, according to the size or diameter of the wheel. The sets of buckets or dont-boards are allowed to turn freely in order that they may adjust themselves while passing through the water, as follows: Let y y represent lthe water line or surface of the water, and the arrow V1 indicates v the direction in which the wheel rotates; 1 2 two sets of buckets or ioat-boards at the surface of the water, at opposite s ides of the wheel-shaft, and 3 a set at the deepest pointof immersion, or directly underneath thewheel-shaft, as shown in iig. 1. The sets of'buckets 1 ou entering the water will assume the'position `shown in tig. 1, but as they proceed downward in a. curvilinear direction, and the whole set becomes'fully immersed, the bucket 11, in consequence of describing the longer curve, will be moved upward or outward until buckets 1112 will be in a horizontal plane, as indicated by the red solid lines in iig. 1, the red dotted lines corresponding to' the original portion of the buckets as -they entered the water. The other two buckets 18 14 will of course ,be in a vertical. plane-,a.'nd these latter buckets will of course have the greaterv propelling power, as they present a greater area to the'water in the direction ofthe path oftherotation ot the wheel. The difference, therefore, between my wheel and the ordinary ones with lined buckets is obvious, as the latter have the position indicated by the dotted lines 5 and 6, where the efficient buckets of my improvement have the position indicated by 13 1*. As the buckets reach the point underneath theshaft of the wheel, the Y buckets1z 13 have the greater propelling elfect, the buckets 11 1* having the lesser propelling elfect, the latter buckets deriving their ei'liciency from the falling of thel waterinto the vacuum between 12 andl* and the rushing up of the water between 13 and 11.: In this position, 3, of the buckets, no advantage is obtained over the ordinary vixed radial buckets, and when ythey reach an intermediate position between 3 and 2, their position is the same as shown at 1, but from the latter point to2 the set of buckets turns, and 11 and 12 assume the position lthat 13 A14 occupied at'point 3. This wheel is as simple in construction as the ordinary wheel with fixed buckets, is not more liable to get out of repair, and can be used upon any wheel of that construction, and a full set can be stowed away in some corner, and, if needed, may be attached-as Aquickly asthe common flat bucket. Its greatest propelling power will be with the main shaft at the water line. In striking drift logs or ice, if it does not roll upon and sink them, the buckets will turn upon their axes and thereby cushion the blow and protectv the wheelfrom injury'. If hung upon aneven keel, it will walk" directly over sami-bars. If necessary or desired, two of the buckets in each set may be loaded in order to insure their entrance intothe water, as indicated in fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as n ew, and vdesire to secure by Letters Patent-+- The construction of four buckets, C, upon the revolving shaft D, arranged upon the ends of the radial revolving arms B, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

EDWARD T. BOSTROM.

Witnesses:

Jes. vM. Dorus, J. W. Sanoma. 

